Digging Up Bones
by jackwabbit
Summary: Daniel Jack Friendship, Slight Angst, Slight Whump, Slight HC, Slight Humor. Set Season 7ish. No spoilers. Written for the AO Household Injury Short Story Challenge. Summary: Jack Finds Something He Wasn't Looking For.


**Digging Up Bones**

Rated: PG

Category: Angst, D/J Friendship, Slight Humor

Season: Seven-ish

Spoilers: None

Summary: Jack Finds Something He Wasn't Looking For

Notes: Written For The American Side of the AO Weekend Challenge-Jack or Daniel Injured in a Household Chore Short Story.

---

Jack O'Neill sat cross-legged on the floor in his hallway. Open boxes surrounded him, and loose papers were scattered all over the floor. His shoulders were hunched slightly, and he looked a little depressed. His hands were laying across his lap, and he stared at them for a few moments before exhaling a loud sigh and reaching into the closet in front of him. As he opened yet another box and pushed some loose pictures around, obviously looking for something specific, he cursed loudly.

"Shit! I know it's here somewhere! I can't believe I can't find it!"

He looked and looked, digging through the contents of this last box, but whatever he wanted still eluded him.

Finally, in frustration, the tall Colonel crawled into the closet and swung his head back and forth along the floor, searching for a box that he might have missed earlier. There was nothing. He had cleaned out the closet thoroughly. Only a few coats hung in the space below the shelf. Jack swore again under his breath. He had been sure it was here, in one of the many boxes he had stored on the hall closet floor.

But it wasn't. He'd looked through every box, and still he could not find it.

A pain built up inside of Jack then, and his breath came in ragged gasps. Anger joined the hurt until Jack could hold it in no longer. His hand lashed out in a punch against the wall in front of him.

As the blow landed on the wall, it sent vibrations up the drywall to the shelf above it.

The shelf was _not_ empty.

Jack O'Neill never saw the falling hockey skate.

He only felt a sudden sharp pain across the back of his head. Then his world went black.

XXX

Doctor Daniel Jackson sat at his desk, working late. He was frustrated by the slow pace of his current translation. He knew he should go home. He knew that a break would probably refresh his mind enough that the ancient symbols in front of him would maybe make some sort of sense. He knew he was tired enough that he stood no chance of finishing this tonight, but he still flipped back and forth in his books, comparing the strange symbols to those he knew. Nothing matched up.

When yet another symbol refused to give up its meaning, Daniel slammed his text shut in anger, and complained loudly to the empty room.

"This makes no sense! That's it! I'm going home!"

Daniel stood to collect his things, leaving his work laying on the table. As he pulled his jacket over his shoulders, he stepped to his computer and prepared to shut it down for the night.

He reached for the mouse, and something caught his eye.

The date.

Right there in the lower right hand corner of his screen.

Daniel's eyes went wide, and his mouth fell open slightly.

"Shit!"

Daniel hurriedly shut down the computer, and left the lab a near run.

When he reached the surface, Daniel quickly scanned the parking lot for Jack's truck. When he didn't see it, he pulled his cel phone from his pocket and hit the first speed dial automatically as he slid into the driver's seat of his car and sped away from the mountain.

The phone rang and rang.

No answer at Jack's house.

Daniel cursed again, and tried Jack's cel phone.

No answer.

Daniel accelerated, a little worried about his friend.

Daniel had made it a point to be with Jack on this day for the last five years. He couldn't believe he had forgotten now, and he only hoped Jack was alright.

XXX

Daniel reached Jack's house in record time, and was relieved to see Jack's truck in the drive. He rocketed out of his car and raced to the front door. He knocked furiously, his worry escalating with every second of silence coming from the house.

When Jack didn't answer the door after four series of knocks, Daniel pulled his spare key out and opened the door without hesitation. He knew something was wrong.

As he stepped into the house, Daniel flicked on the lights. The sight that met him as soon as the room illuminated froze the archeologist with fear.

Jack was lying on his stomach on the floor in the hallway, blood seeping from a wound on the back of his head. For the briefest of seconds, Daniel thought Jack was dead. He always worried more today than any other day.

But then Jack moved, and Daniel's heart leapt into his throat. Tears of joy sprang to his eyes.

He raced to Jack's side and began to shake the older man roughly.

"Jack! Jack! You're alive! I was worried sick! You okay? What happened?"

Jack groaned in response and raised his hands in a gesture that asked for space as Daniel rolled him over onto his back.

"Daniel?"

"Yeah. Jack, what's going on? You okay?"

Daniel had just noticed the boxes and papers all over the floor, and he was looking at Jack strangely. Jack just looked confused and disoriented.

"Daniel? What are you doing here?"

"I just came by to check on you."

"Why?"

Daniel stuttered a bit in his response. "Well...uh...I realized what day it was...and...um...I just wanted to come by to see how you were."

Jack nodded ever so slightly. "Oh."

Daniel's eyes roved over the boxes and pictures again, and a sudden light of understanding came into his eyes.

"What were you looking for, Jack?"

Jack shrugged, finally sitting up and shaking his head to clear it. "Nothing."

Daniel's eyes scanned the room again, taking in the hockey skate and Jack's injury.

"Well, it looks like 'nothing' gave you a pretty good whack on the head. Let's get you cleaned up a bit."

"Yeah, I guess the skate fell and cold cocked me. I can manage."

"I know you can, but either you let me look at your head, or I'll call Janet...your choice."

Daniel grinned wickedly, and Jack glared back.

"Cheater."

"Maybe, but I'm gonna get a look at you."

Jack waved dismissively. "Fine."

Daniel led Jack over to the couch and sat him down on it while he went to the bathroom for water and a washcloth. When he came back, he busied himself dabbing Jack's head while he studied his friend's face intently. Something was troubling Jack, but Daniel couldn't quite tell what it was.

As Daniel gently wiped blood from Jack's head and neck, he discovered the wound wasn't as bad as it looked, and while he'd have a hell of a headache for a few days, Jack would be ok. Daniel was so caught up in his ministrations that he nearly didn't hear Jack speak.

"You know today's Charlie's birthday."

Daniel sobered. "Yeah, I know."

"I nearly forgot, Daniel. How could I forget?"

Daniel didn't know what to say. So this was what was bothering Jack. Time was healing his wounds, and like everyone who grieved, Jack was angry that he was forgetting to hurt. Daniel certainly understood Jack's feelings-he had felt them many times in his life, and he'd even been reminded of them tonight, when he nearly forgot to stay close to Jack on this all important day.

"Jack, it's ok..."

"No, it's not, Daniel. I had this picture. A really nice one. His last birthday with us...and I can't find it. I nearly forget his birthday, and now I can't find the picture..."

Jack trailed off, and Daniel's heart broke for his friend. He had stopped tending Jack's wound, and he looked at his friend for a moment before responding.

"Well, I'll tell you what, Jack. I'll help you. We'll find it together. It's here somewhere. What do you say?"

Jack looked at Daniel with confused wonder on his face for a second, then smiled a sad little smile before nodding his head a few times.

"Yeah. Ok. I can do that."

Daniel softly smiled back. "Ok. But first I'm going to make you some tea. And you're going to take some Advil. I won't tell Janet about your head as long as you take it easy, ok?"

Jack nodded mutely.

Daniel stood and began to make his way to the kitchen. Just before he left the room, though, he spun on his heel and addressed Jack again.

"Just one more thing, though, ok?"

Jack looked wary, but nodded again. "What?"

"Well, there are some journeys you shouldn't take alone, Jack. Promise me that next time you go digging up bones, you'll take a qualified archeologist with you."

Daniel grinned, and somehow Jack grinned back. A small chuckle even escaped his lips. He nodded.

"Damn straight, Daniel. Thanks." As he spoke, Jack's hand gripped a throw pillow on the couch, and as he finished talking, he lobbed it at the younger man.

"Now get out of here," Jack teased merrily, easing his discomfort at such an emotionally charged situation with levity.

Daniel dodged the pillow, nodded back, then continued into the kitchen. No more words needed to be said. When he returned with a hot cup of tea for Jack, he found his friend asleep on the couch. Daniel knew that because Jack had a head injury, he should wake him, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, he sat and drank the tea himself and then settled in for a long overnight vigil beside his friend.

He'd be there when Jack woke or if he needed anything in the night.

And they could always find the picture in the morning.


End file.
